A former factional Chairman of the Oyo State branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Mukaila Lamidi (aka Auxiliary), has been sentenced to six years' imprisonment for conspiracy.
Lamidi was jailed with four others by the High Court for his involvement in a crisis that claimed the lives of some people in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, in March 2014.
The others are Saheed Kareem, Abu Kareem, Kazeem Kayode and Taiwo Tijani.
The five persons had been on trial for the melee carried out at the Iwo Road interchange, Ibadan, on June 4, 2011, which led to the death of some citizens, including a final-year medical student, Adekunle Oladipupo.
The five accused persons were arrested and arraigned in 2014.
In his verdict, Justice Eni Esan said the accused persons were charged with a three-count of conspiracy, murder and attempted murder.
The judge held that the prosecution witness, Akeem Agbaje, told the court that he was beside Adekunle Adedipupo on the day the accused, with others at large, stormed the motor park in a Peugeot 604 belonging to Auxiliary and two other Micra cars, shooting sporadically.
The witness added that he also sustained serious injuries.
Justice Esan said during cross-examination, the principal witness (PW 1) told the court that although the incident occurred around 9:45 pm, he was able to identify the accused persons with the help of headlights of the cars that lit up the crime scene.
"The court hereby discharges the accused persons on the murder charge," he said.
Justice Esan further held that the accused persons in their evidence-in-chief and statement to the police, agreed that Auxiliary was their leader.
The judge added that they had been meeting in his Diamond Hotel at Alakia Isebo, Ibadan.
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